It's A Collection, Not An Obsession! Two
by evilmoose
Summary: [IchiRuki][oneshots] The sequel to my first collection of Ichigo and Rukia fluff, which continues the chaos! Sideeffects include warm, fuzzy feelings, laughter, and the possible disintegration of eyeballs. Rating to be safe. Chapter 1: Finders' Keepers 2
1. Finders' Keepers 2

Author's Note: Okay…well, if you want to know the information regarding my one-shots for Ichigo and Rukia, please refer to the first one-shot collection so I do not have to rewrite everything. For those of you who read the story "Finders Keepers", here is the sequel.

It is dedicated to all of the avid readers from my last collection, whom I thank adamantly for their support and love, especially **Andraq**. Thank you so much!! I hope you enjoy. It is not perfect, but I thought some innocent fluff would be a good way to start.

If you have any suggestions or requests for one-shot stories, please let me know!! I would be happy to do them. Please read and review!

Title: Finders Keepers Two

Genre: General/Romance

Summary: Rukia was afraid of rejection, and wanted to keep the feelings hidden inside. Little did she know the one she wrote of so fondly had some feelings hidden too…

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**Finders Keepers Two**

Rukia delicately flipped through the pages of her diary. Each entry up until she reached the human world was filled with the scribbles of her training, which consisted of working diligently next to Ukitake-taicho, and Kaien-dono, and there were even skirmishes with Renji in the sand trap practice grounds. Now it was different; each entry had Ichigo encrypted into each page, whether directly said or floating between the lines.

_And he almost found out…_

Clutching the book tightly, she shuddered at him opening her beloved diary, and with enlarged eyes scanning over her written affections for the boy. It was not how she wanted to tell him; Rukia had watched plenty of romance movies to know.

A muffled knock came to the closet door; Rukia forgot she awoke early that morning, and secluded herself in the dark to think. With a jump, she glanced at the light streaming through the cracks, attempting to see who was there. She had a hunch of who it might be.

"Open." She said quickly as she hid her diary away underneath the pillow. The door slid open to reveal a disheveled Ichigo, hair tousled and pajamas in disarray. Rukia managed to stifle her laugh, though she knew she could not possibly look any better. "Do you know what time it is?" Ichigo asked with irritation, yawning.

"Why does it matter? I wasn't making any noise." She replied defensively, nose wrinkling. Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "I wasn't referring to that. I really wanted to know what time it was. My clock fell and broke last night."

"Oh." She muttered, embarrassed. "I don't know."

He waved her off and walked back to his bed, stretching and groaning in an attempt to wake up. Rukia could not help but stare at the one who kept her awake at night, thoughts of him running through her head incessantly. It was enough to drive a person mad. Lost in thought, she did not realize she was still staring. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Um, Rukia? Everything okay?" He asked, finishing his stretch. Rukia blinked and shook her head. "No, no everything is fine, really."

Ichigo nodded, and took in a sharp breath. "Okay." Then he seemed jittery. "I um…"

Rukia swung her eyes back towards him, watching as he flailed for words and scratched his head. She felt her heart in her throat. "Come on, spit it out," She said impatiently, ignoring her body. He gave her a frustrated glance, and then sighed.

"I wanted to…" His eyes drifted to the floor. "To um, apologize again about the…about the diary."

Rukia drew her head back in surprise; that was not exactly what she was expecting him to say. His facial features were shadowed, and his brows drew together in a tight scrunch. Rukia tried to read his face, but Ichigo was a closed book.

"Uh, okay. Where did that come from?" Rukia asked. She was almost mad that he was still attempting to apologize for an incident that occurred a week before. He shrugged. "I'm just re-apologizing, is that a problem?" He asked, his voice rising.

She shook her head quickly. "No. Just did not expect it."

"I just felt bad is all. I felt like a jerk, for some reason."

Rukia huffed. "Yeah, I would say it was rather jerk-ish of you." He dropped his shoulders, and did not look at her. Noticing his remorse, she added, "But apologizing balances it out, you know. If you were a true jerk, apologizing would not have been part of your vocabulary."

"Yeah, I guess so." He replied quietly.

"So why is it bothering you so much?" She just had to ask him; her curiosity was killing her. Ichigo glanced up, and for the first time a different light shone in his eyes. She swore her heart stopped at the look in his eyes.

"Because it's your diary. I shouldn't read that stuff. I never was going to, but my mind…it was fighting with me. I guess…I felt bad about my curiosity."

She raised her eyebrow. "What is there to be curious about? I'm just…me." Rukia thought she did well covering how nervous she felt; her words did not shake so badly.

"But that's just it. It's you. I want to know."

Rukia knew now that her heart no longer functioned. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? Ichigo shut his eyes, mentally shoving his fist in his mouth. He knew now that she would be mad, and braced for the storm to come.

But none came.

"…why."

He opened one eye and saw the blank stare on her face. Was she worried, shocked, scared, or mad? Ichigo could not tell, but he stood up from his bed and made way for his door. He wanted to hide. "No reason. Just forget I said anything."

"No Ichigo. Please."

Rukia sounded desperate; almost like she was pleading with him. Ichigo was not sure how to respond, so he stopped walking and stood near the closet where she sat. He could feel his insides tangle in a tight knot. The knob on the door drew him in.

The silence in the room hovered above them like a deadly poison, ready to drift down and suffocate the lives out of them. Ichigo's face was still unreadable, and Rukia's eyes continued to stare at his profile praying he would respond. With a defeated sigh he dropped his head and closed his eyes once more.

"What is there for you to know, Rukia? I just told you…"

"Ichigo, I…I want to know what it is about me that you want to know. There is nothing life-threatening, or dangerous. It is just my diary."

He gave her a sweeping side glance with one eye. "I do not think you understand what a diary really means."

"Of course I do," She said, offended. "It is where I keep all of my thoughts and daily events."

"I know that." He snapped. "But it is the things you do not say that you place in that diary. The thoughts you want to hide, for one reason or another, are hidden inside. Curiosity overtakes us humans. We want to know what others are really thinking."

Rukia sat quiet for a moment. "You wanna know what I think?" Ichigo still did not look directly at her, but she had his full attention. "What?"

"That you make no sense." She stated dully.

"I make perfect sense! You are a closed book, Rukia. You rarely ever share anything with anyone, and it made me curious as to what you really think…what really goes through your mind every day."

She jumped out of the closet and stood before him, fists clenched. "Why should it matter to you? It's my diary, my thoughts—"

"I know that, stupid!" He argued. "But that doesn't make me any less curious!"

She growled. "I'm not stupid! And I keep certain things hidden because I am afraid!"

"Afraid of what!?" He yelled back.

She stomped her foot and tears formed behind her eyes. It burned. "Afraid of rejection, Ichigo! I do not want to be rejected! I refuse to be!"

"No one is going to reject you!" He replied, their faces now mere inches from each other, sparks of anger flaring from Rukia's tear-filled eyes. Ichigo noticed a little too late.

"Yes you will!"

Rukia gasped quietly as she backed away from him, the tears now streaming quietly down her flawless face. Ichigo could only watch her with a frozen face; the shock kept him from reacting. The poisoned silence took over again. Rukia, her back against the corner of the room, slid down the wall and buried her head in her arms. "I'm so stupid…" She whispered to herself.

"No you aren't."

Her head shot up to see Ichigo kneeling down before her, his eyes shifting uneasily. The pounding she heard must have been her own heart as it raced rampantly in the pit of her stomach.

"What?" Rukia wanted to ensure her hearing was in check.

He sighed. "I said, no you aren't. It was my fault."

"But I told—"

"It was my fault!" He cut her off. "I..I shouldn't have even said anything in the first place. Let's just…act like we never had this conversation."

She felt her heart shatter into a thousand finite pieces. "W-what?"

"Look," He said, glancing at the window, "It is your diary. Whether it has to do with me…"

"It has everything to do with you." She confessed.

He raised an eyebrow. "We should still just drop it."

Suddenly her face grew dark, and her eyes glazed over with a sadness he had never before seen. He knew then he said something wrong, and the guilt washed over him.

"I knew I would be rejected." She said quietly, shoulders shaking.

The next thing Rukia knew, Ichigo's finger was placed under her chin, lifting her eyes up to meet his deep, brown ones. She felt at home; there was something in them that drew her in. Rukia swallowed hard. She noticed a small bead of sweat run down his temple.

"You will never be rejected." He whispered softly, placing his forehead on hers. "I will never reject you, Rukia. I promise you that."

She smiled to herself as she pressed her forehead harder, feeling his warm skin against hers in an affectionate way. "But…but you don't even know what I wrote about you."

"If…if it has anything to do with the things I write about you…I think I have a pretty good idea."

Without once more thinking about her diary, and the fact that he kept his own, she jumped into his arms and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Rukia allowed tears of joy and relief flow. There was nothing left to hide.

"You know…" She said, muffled against his shirt. "I like the phrase finders' keepers."

He laughed softly and brought her closer. "I do too."

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Authors' Note: Well…I have so much shit to do for school…but I somehow managed to squeeze this out of my wilted brain. I know it is not the best, and does not make a whole lot of sense…but I did it more for my enjoyment. It was random fluff, basically. 

If you enjoy, great. If not…screw you. :

Look out for the next update…well, not for a while. I've some traveling to do in the next coupla days, and I will be gone for a few weeks. Forgive me. Please review.

_EvilMoose_


	2. Reason

Authors Note: I apologize for taking so long to update, but I have had a lot on my plate recently. A new story, family, boyfriend, and school are inhibiting my ability to update regularly. I hope those who care to forgive me. TT I hope you enjoy though! Thank you for the support!

Title: Reason

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: Ichigo realizes the reason he draws his sword for her...

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**Reason**

_Blood shed..._

The rain fell silently, the ground shimmering with droplets of red. It ran slowly down his side, soaking into his very being. He did not feel the warmth of his blood; just the cold that surrounded his heart as he watched the shadows grin at him with a deadly lust in their eyes. They moved in closer, bearing down on him as he lay helpless on the wet ground. He inhaled the dirt as he lay his head down in resignation.

_Is it worth this hellish fate?_

He had done it all. Swords clashing, feet shifting, blood splashing; all in his vain attempt to save her. Was it truly vain? Had he done nothing more than write his own eulogy? The cenotaph left behind would be nothing more than his blood spattered on the walls, and there will be only the memory of his dying face as the light faded from his eyes. Is that where it ended?

No.

_A flash of violet in the sea of red..._

He clenched his fist and slammed it into the mudding dirt, and narrowed his eyes against the darkening sky looming above him. The shadows drew nearer, drawing their swords to end the fight. In the darkness, he could see her face; raven hair flowed smoothly over her flawless skin, eyes deep and intense as she passed him a quick effortless smile. Her small frame fit perfectly in his hands as he carried her away from the carnage of battle, releasing her from yet another untimely fate.

That was where she was supposed to be...in his arms. He could not help but love every moment that she was with him, even when they were bloodied and torn. It was nostalgic.

_The silver of the blade bringing light..._

With shaking hands and feet, he pushed himself up. Blood and dirt mixed together, drenching him in a reddish mud that drizzled down his body. New blood mixed with the old; he never felt his weakness...only his strength. There she stood, standing in the distance with horror etched on the face he loved so dearly.

He knew then why the blood flowed. He knew why he enjoyed feeling the pain of the sword. He knew the reason for everything, and she lived and breathed into him.

He understood what it was that he had been fighting for all along. There was no more need for doubt; he drew his sword for her.

_The reason is known._

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Authors Note: Well, it was short and sweet. Again please forgive me for not updating sooner. Look out for the next installment! I apologize if it does not make total sense...I was just...kinda writing and it came out. Heh. ;

_Evilmoose_

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	3. My Blue Sky

Authors Note: Whoa…it has been ages since I've updated, and I have managed to escape most of the writers' block that has been cursing me for the past few months. This may not make up for it, _**because it isn't that great**_, but it is a start for me. Forgive me ahead of time for any mistakes or…confusion!

I confused myself too, so please don't ask questions. **I was just…writing**. I hope someone likes it, if not, oh well. Keep your flames to yourself; I don't give a damn what you think if it's negative.

I also apologize for the length…I was bored and extended it a bit. I may not update for a while so a lengthy one is good.

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_**My Blue Sky**_

A chilling wind rustled the grass. The skies fell open and dropped their burden on the unsuspecting earth, the droplets crashing on the ground. A mist rose from the cement as the heat of the day mixed with the cool of the rain, leaving a mysterious aura floating effortlessly in mid-air. Stuck in the sudden downpour, Ichigo and Rukia found shelter in an oak tree not far from the road. Ichigo was disgruntled; he hated the rain.

"Do you ever wonder why the sky is blue?" 

Rukia looked at him with honest, curious eyes. Her legs dangled limply over the side of the gnarled branch, every so often swinging back and forth in attempts to distract herself from the awkward silence between she and grumbling male.

Ichigo passed the raven haired girl a startled glance; she always knew how to bring up the most obscure discussions at random and…odd times. He sighed and shook his head.

"Rukia, does it really matter?" Ichigo asked flatly, then noticing her shift he added, "It is raining you know. There is no blue sky today."

Rukia shuffled her hand on the branch, feeling the bumps and knots underneath her palm. "I was just thinking about it. I mean, out of all the colors, why is it blue?"

"It's gray right now, Rukia."

"I know that, idiot! Can't I start up a conversation without you ruining it?" She shot back, her eyes dancing flames. Ichigo pulled his head back in surprise, but said nothing. "It was just a simple question." Rukia whispered.

Ichigo turned away from her violet eyes and locked vision onto the darkening sky above. The rain was torrential now; the pounding of the water sounded like a freight train flying by. With a sigh of resignation he lowered his head and stared at his knees in shame.

"I'm sorry Rukia. But…you know how dad is when I'm late, and…I was hoping to get home on time today to avoid that." As Ichigo talked, the thought of Isshin jumping out from behind the door and attacking him brought a scowl to his face.

Rukia tilted her head. "I'm sorry Ichigo. We can try to run home if you want."

Ichigo's eyes were distant; his penetrating brown orbs were focused on a distant invisible being, and his shoulders were tense. 

"Ichigo?"

"The sky is blue because of the sun," Ichigo ignored her pleading eyes as he attempted to give a reasonable answer to her question. Rukia wrinkled her nose; she was not satisfied.

"First I want to know what's wrong with you," She scooted closer, observing his face.

He pulled back from her again. "You can't be satisfied, can you? I'm trying to answer your question."

"You haven't answered any question." Rukia complained quietly. Ichigo strained to hear her muffled words over the pouring rain.

"I was trying to before you interrupted!" He argued, clenching a fist in his lap.

Rukia shook her head; Ichigo was so stubborn and hard-headed. Sometimes listening to him made her want to scream. "Yeah, after you didn't respond at first! So…I asked you a different question, and you brushed it off like I wasn't even talking."

"I knew you were talking."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and flashed a quick look at her before staring up at the sky. The clouds continued to billow over their heads, the thunder roaring and lightning flashing in the distance. Rukia leaned forward to catch his expression; it was far away and…sad? Was he avoiding something?

"Ichigo."

Ichigo turned his head slightly, but said nothing.

Rukia placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched immediately. "What's wrong? You were just fine a while ago."

"That's because I'm late," Ichigo replied coldly, his eyes stayed off of hers. Rukia knew that he was lying, but played off of it anyway.

"You never get this grumpy when you're late. At least, not when I've been around."

"It's just one of those days, okay?" He snapped softly. Rukia could feel the muscles in his shoulder quivering, but did not attempt to tighten her grip. 

Ichigo felt his head pounding with the rain, and his heart raced with an unnatural beat. He did not understand why, but when it rained the world felt upside down and everything was out of control. Subconsciously he gripped the tree.

Rukia continued to observe the orange-haired teen, but whatever he felt was hidden well. She grew aggravated; why didn't he talk to her? "What do you mean, one of those days?" She asked calmly.

Ichigo fought to keep quiet; he wanted to blurt out everything he felt—everything that plagued his mind, but was slowly losing the battle. Without a word he turned his head away and sighed heavily. "Never mind."

"Don't 'never mind' me Ichigo Kurosaki! I'm trying to help here!" She screamed, and then added softly, "I know something is bothering you, and it isn't Isshin."

"Even if there was, why does it matter to you?"

_And this all started with a simple question…_ Rukia thought.

"Because I 'm your friend Ichigo." She stated simply; she thought that would be enough for him to talk to her.

He bowed his head again, but swung around to face her with his sad brown eyes. Rukia felt her heart pound in her throat as Ichigo struggled to keep his eyes connected to hers. He fidgeted slightly.

"It's hard."

Rukia scrunched her face. "What's hard?"

"To…just talk about…" He broke off several times, muttering as he went along. Rukia could tell he was getting frustrated with himself, so she helped him.

"You mean…hard to talk about…how you feel?" She inquired, hoping she was right.

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah."

Rukia bounced slightly on the branch to get comfortable, and placed her hands in her lap. "Well, act like I'm not here. Just talk as if you were…well, talking to yourself."

The silence was overbearing for several moments, the only noise in the background was the rain. Neither noticed that the downpour was slowing. Rukia shifted her weight uncomfortably; she guessed Ichigo was not going to talk.

With an intense sadness, she shifted away from him. As her hand was leaving the branch, she felt a strong tug against her wrist and the warmth of skin on skin. Rukia's head whirled to stare at her wrist, then trailed up to find Ichigo had stopped her from leaving. He did not look at her.

"Wha—"

"Don't leave me, Rukia." He demanded calmly, but quietly. "Not again."

Rukia was obviously confused; she tilted her head. "Again? But Ichigo—"

He cut her off again. "Just…don't leave."

When Ichigo released his grip on her wrist, she found her place on the branch again and stared at her hands. Her wrist still tingled from his touch.

"The truth is, I don't like the rain." Ichigo said, his voice shaking. Rukia guessed he did not like this feeling of vulnerability.

"Why not?" She asked gently.

"Because…" Ichigo floated off again, his hands clenching and unclenching every few seconds in an effort to stay calm. Rukia took a chance and placed her hand on his; he did not pull away. "Because…I always lose someone when it rains."

Rukia's eyes opened wider; she now understood why he seemed so upset when it began to drizzle earlier in the day. She stayed quiet, hoping he would continue.

"I…I lost my mom when it rained, and it was out of my hands. I felt so helpless Rukia. She died to save my life, and to this day I live with the burden of knowing it was my fault she died."

Ichigo could feel his hands shake, and Rukia, sensing this, squeezed his hand to encourage him. Rukia then realized that he used her name; Ichigo was actually talking to her. She could feel her heartbeat quicken, but remained still.

"And then…" He looked at Rukia now, "And then…I lost you, when it rained."

Rukia felt a bubble catch in her throat. Was she supposed to say something to him? She racked her brain for an apology that he would accept, but none came. She turned her eyes away from him and stared at the leaves rustling in the wind; it was her fault.

"You did it to protect me," Ichigo continued, his voice bringing Rukia back to his face. "And…then they took you away from me. There was nothing I could do. Once again I was helpless, and you were going to die…because of me."

"But you saved me." Rukia butted in, attempting to cheer him up.

"I had to, Rukia. You protected me, and it was the least I could do."

Rukia felt her heart break; he did not want to save her because of their friendship? Or was he still hiding from her?

"But you nearly died to save me!" Rukia cried out, her eyes welling with tears. "I was not worth that much! Not your life!"

"Yes you were! Not only were you my friend, but you saved my life, so I made the resolve to save yours." He argued. "As I lay on the ground watching you leave…I…I…did not think once about the pain. I did not think once about the blood. I only thought about you."

Rukia felt her heart racing. "You could have died there because of me."

"No. Not when I knew I had to save you. I had to…I did not want to see you leave…not forever." Ichigo's voice was childish now, almost fearful.

Rukia was at a loss for words; she was not sure what to say or do to make anything better. Then, a question came to mind that seemed to be the root of their conversation. She had to know. "So…when you did not want to answer my question about the sky…"

"I couldn't see the sky, Rukia." He answered simply. "I knew it wasn't up there."

Rukia gave him a concerned look. "Um…yes it is. Its' just that clouds were in the way."

"Exactly." He replied, only furthering her confusion. When he noticed her scrunched eyebrows he sighed. "I was so focused on the rain, and the clouds, and the pain it brought me that I had a hard time looking at the sky. I was scared to look at it because I feared losing it again."

Ichigo flipped his hand over and held Rukia's gently as he looked into her violet eyes. She had difficulty swallowing now.

"You are my blue sky, Rukia." Ichigo fought to stay level. "That's why I didn't want you to leave. I would have never seen the sky again. You make the rain stop."

With a small smile and a few stray tears, Rukia held his hand tighter and fell against his shoulder softly. Ichigo's body was no longer tense; there was nothing left for him to hide. With silent, soaring hearts they looked up at the clearing sky. The rain had stopped.

"Idiot." Rukia muttered under her breath with a smile. "I'm not blue."

She did not see it, but Ichigo was smiling too.

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Author's Note: So, let me know what you think! Only if it is nice and positive, please. I'm in no mood to delete flamers' comments or deal with your issues about my writing. Don't like it? Then leave it alone.

Hope those who did like it enjoyed it though: Hopefully I'll update soon, and with a shorter story.

_EvilMoose_


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